As more businesses become ‘connected’ and begin to operate on a National and/or International level, the need for the exchange of information over long distances increases. One way to accomplish the exchange of information involves transferring the information via ‘hard’ mailing techniques, such as by sending volumes of paper via traditional mailing services, such as Federal Express, UPS and US Postal Service, or by facilitating the information exchange via a courier. Unfortunately however, this type of transfer method can be expensive, time consuming and impractical depending on the volume of information to be exchanged. Additionally, because the information is transferred via paper copy, the paper copy must be physically delivered to the desired location. Depending upon the desired location, the time required for transfer may be days.
Another way to accomplish the exchange of information involves using electronic transfer devices to facilitate the transfer, such as via a facsimile or electronic mailing (E-Mail) device. Unfortunately however, although this method has been around for several years and is typically much more efficient than the physical transfer of information, both in cost and time, this method becomes less efficient and cost effective as the volume and sensitivity of the information increases. For example, sending large amounts of information via email may not be a viable option if the email servers of both the sender and receiver need to be secure servers or cannot support large files. Another problem occurs when the information being exchanged needs to be discussed by multiple parties disposed in multiple locations. Unfortunately, this type of communication, or ‘Internet collaboration’ setup, raises several issues on information security and the technical sophistication of the parties involved.
In order to address these concerns, several services for Internet collaboration have been developed, including Internet based services, such as Intranets.com, iceboxportal.com, teamworkzone.com and wiki.org, which provide for extranet communication or Internet collaboration. Unfortunately however, these services currently have several drawbacks. First, in order to access and take full advantage of these services, the users must have a considerable amount of technical expertise involving Internet systems and communications. This is a skill the average business person does not have without hiring an IT professional. Second, these services typically require specialized software to facilitate and operate. This is an added cost to the user. Third, the level of information security provided by these services is typically not sufficient to prevent the intrusion of unwanted parties or the dissemination of sensitive information.